There have been a wealth of books and articles published about the Vietnam war, and the concurrent issue of prisoners of war (POWs) and missing in action (MIAs) from American involvement in that conflict. Not many authors have examined the cultural and political impact of the Vietnam POW/MIA lobby on American society. The outsize role … Continue reading Until the Last Man Comes Home – reviewing the Vietnam POW/MIA issue

The issue of the Prisoners of War/Missing in Action (POW/MIA) is one of the last remaining leftover campaigns from the Vietnam War. This refers to the fate of American military personnel still listed as Missing in Action or Prisoners of War in Vietnam and the related military operations of the United States forces in Southeast … Continue reading The Vietnam POW/MIA issue needs to be laid to rest – Part One

The issue of the POW/MIAs from the Vietnam conflict was the main lens through which the Vietnam war was viewed by successive US administrations. The Johnson administration had kept the existence of captured American military personnel a strict secret. Nixon, and his defence secretary Melvin Laird, made the conscious to turn the POW/MIA issue into … Continue reading The POW/MIA myth and the rehabilitation of the Vietnam war – Part Two

August this year marked fifty years since Australian troops were completely withdrawn from Vietnam. This was in accordance with the American drawdown of military forces at the time. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese paid tribute to the courage and sacrifice of Australian soldiers who served in that conflict. His speech was one of many commemorative … Continue reading 50 years since Australia’s withdrawal from Vietnam

Growing up in the 1980s in western Sydney, one cannot help but become familiar with the loud, overpowering rendition of the Cold Chisel song, Khe Sanh. Told from the viewpoint of an Australian Vietnam veteran, the lyrics reference not only the battle itself, but the aimlessness and drifting of the veteran in the post-Khe Sanh … Continue reading Khe Sanh, an Aussie song about a Vietnamese battle, and moralising about colonialist wars

Every imperialist empire recruits a section from the oppressed to become its foot-soldiers and propagandists. The ‘native’ recruit absorbs the outlook of imperial power, and does their level best to advocate further imperial expansion. The British practiced this technique, making the Gurkhas an invaluable propaganda tool for empire, as well as a reliable proxy force. … Continue reading When immigrants become propagandists and foot-soldiers for US power – intersectional imperialism continues Cold War practices

Abimael Guzman, the Peruvian Communist leader of the Maoist insurgent group the Shining Path, and former philosophy professor, passed away after decades in prison. A rebel with a definite cause, he remained true to his ideals of a people’s war against the Peruvian (and American-backed) oligarchy. No, I do not endorse Maoism, and neither do … Continue reading The passing of Abimael Guzman, Colin Powell and bookending chapters of history

US Vice President Kamala Harris toured southeast Asian nations last month, and finished with a visit to Vietnam. Before she arrived in Vietnam, she gave a speech in Singapore attacking China for its allegedly ‘bullying’ behaviour. VP Harris has been promoting an Indo-Pacific military buildup; however, Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chin stated that Hanoi, … Continue reading Kamala Harris visits Vietnam – and demonstrated that the US learnt nothing from its defeat

During the January 6 ultranationalist attempted coup on Capitol Hill, numerous hate symbols and flags flew together – incited by the far-rightist US President Donald Trump. The Confederate flag, a historic symbol of white nationalism, made for a ubiquitous appearance on that day. There were numerous far right flags and symbols, each with their own … Continue reading On Capitol Hill, the Confederate and South Vietnamese flags found common cause

Since the anti-Vietnam war protests, including the civil rights movement, right down to today’s Black Lives Matter rallies, there has been a common theme advocated by the conservative Right – the disrespectful, badly behaved protester. The latter stereotype has been deployed not only to counter the protest movements, but to delegitimise the ideas and actions … Continue reading From the anti-Vietnam war movement to Black Lives Matter – the recycled myth of the badly-behaved protesters